Ohio zoo's youngest gorilla ready for public debut

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

CINCINNATI (AP) -- A baby gorilla moved from Texas is making her public debut at the Cincinnati Zoo with one of about 10 humans who have served as surrogate mothers for her.

The 3-month-old lowland gorilla named Gladys Stones makes her media debut Tuesday in a yard where she'll spend time over the next month with the human surrogates, climbing trees and getting familiar with being outdoors.

She was born Jan. 29 at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. Her mother rejected her, and she was moved to Cincinnati in February to be paired with a gorilla surrogate mother.

A Cincinnati Zoo spokeswoman says the humans are caring for Gladys until one of four gorillas at the zoo is selected to be her surrogate mother and they can be introduced gradually.